The large cast of newcomers appears to address all of the team’s needs and could vault the Bruins from a losing record in their final Pac-12 season to a place among the favorites during their first season in the Big Ten.
William Kyle III brings elite rim protection. Kobe Johnson brings sturdy defense. Tyler Bilodeau brings offensive punch. Skyy Clark brings a variety of skills on the perimeter. Eric Dailey Jr. brings a versatile inside-out approach.
Dominick Harris, the newest member of the transfer class who announced his commitment on social media Saturday, should address one of the Bruins’ biggest weaknesses: shooting.
In his only season at Loyola Marymount after transferring from Gonzaga, Harris ranked third in the nation by making 44.8% of his three-pointers while averaging a team-leading 14.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. Though he will be a graduate transfer, Harris has two years of remaining eligibility, including the extra one provided by the pandemic.
Harris could be considered the player to be named later in a trade with LMU given that former Bruins freshman guard Jan Vide earlier committed to the Lions.
A native of Murrieta, Harris starred at Rancho Christian High in Temecula before becoming part of Gonzaga’s ballyhooed 2020 recruiting class that also included Jalen Suggs and Julian Strawther. But Harris played sparingly in his first college season and sat out his second after undergoing foot surgery.
In his final season with the Bulldogs, Harris played only 57 minutes before entering the transfer portal in search of a bigger role that he found at LMU. Now he could compete with Clark for a starting spot alongside Bruins point guard Dylan Andrews.
UCLA’s transfers should transform the Bruins from one of the youngest teams in college basketball to a savvy, veteran bunch. A year after heavily featuring seven freshmen and three sophomores, UCLA will have a graduate transfer, two seniors and three juniors as part of its primary rotation.
Perhaps the best gauge of how much talent the Bruins have imported is that guard Sebastian Mack, who started 30 games last season and ranked third on the team in scoring, could now be fighting for minutes as a reserve. Forwards Lazar Stefanovic and Brandon Williams also could go from starters to coming off the bench.
Five of the Bruins’ six transfers averaged double figures in scoring at their most recent college stops, adding a total of 75.1 points per game. Two, Harris and Clark, led their teams in scoring.
The big question facing a roster in flux is how quickly roles can be defined and chemistry developed. Andrews could be the only starter from last season to hold on to that designation considering the robust battles at every other position and the ability of several players to play multiple positions.
Harris and Clark are likely to fight for the starting shooting guard spot. Johnson could unseat Stefanovic as the starting small forward. Bilodeau and Dailey give Cronin a pair of enticing options at power forward and even could start together as part of a smaller lineup. Kyle could be the starting big man unless Aday Mara makes a massive offseason leap.
UCLA did not have an open scholarship at the time of Harris’ commitment, meaning someone will have to leave for him to join the roster. As currently constructed, the roster is rounded out by freshman guard Eric Freeny and returning forwards Williams, Berke Buyuktuncel and Devin Williams.
A year after lamenting that some players were in the rotation only because he had no other options, Cronin might be pressed to find enough playing time for all his luxury imports.